Sunday, January 26, 2014

After 18 months of renovating a place most people would
walk away from or condemn, Bob Maurais and his brother dug into the mess and
created a beautiful new home for Southern Maine Renewable Fuels (SMRF) on the
old site of Heritage Metal Crafts at 354 Gray Road almost across from the
Windham Public Safety building. They moved into the building June 1, 2013.

Seeing the need for alternative heating options, Bob and
his brother Ed, and Bob’s son Jim started SMRF in 2008. SMRF is a division of
Mainely Ticks a company that Ed and Bob own.

SMRF offers bio-products and alternatives to heating with
wood. These all natural products are cleaner and take up less than half the space
of a cord of wood. The bio logs extend the length of the burn, usually lasting
eight hours through the night making it easier to start the fire in the morning
with the left over coals.

Right now the wait for kiln dried firewood is between six
and eight weeks, according to Bob. Regular seasoned firewood is non-existent.
“Therein lies the beauty of the business we have,” said Bob.

On hand right now, SMRF has the equivalent of 80 cords of
dry firewood in their storage facility, but Bob guarantees it will go fast. The
prices are also comparable with kiln dried wood. A cord of wood is generally
$250 to $275, said Bob. Kiln dried wood is over $300. The bio-products are
between $289 and $314.

“People love the
cleanliness and convenience and it burns hot and slow,” Bob said of his
products. “We’re seeing more and more of a trend with the older population.”
Bio-products require a lot less work, he said.

Customers can purchase the products by the ton, but also
are able to purchase bags individually. “People living paycheck to paycheck
come in every week to buy 10 bags. That’s their heat for the week,” Bob said.

SMRF does offer home deliveries, but right now that is
suspended due to road conditions. With four tons of pellets or bio-bricks,
having it delivered is much more cost effective even with the delivery charge,
said Bob.

SMRF offers a discount for new customers and also
provides a new customer bundle for bio-products so they can see what works best
in their stove. Due to their products and customer service SMRF has seen 20
percent growth last year and 20 percent growth the year before. “People are
being educated on the products. They try four bags and say ‘you’re right.’
There is a difference in fuel.”

The most popular products at SMRF are Rio logs and
Canawick Bricks and in pellets, the Cubex hardwood pellets and Okanagan
softwood pellets. Bob suggests that customers find what works best in their
appliance and stick with it.

The big box stores that sell pellets concern bother Bob.
“It’s the value of service and quality of the product that distinguishes us
from the big box stores,” he said.

The only negative about bio-products is that they can’t
be stored outside or “you’ll have an expensive pile of sawdust,” Bob joked.

SMRF also has another facility in on Route 9 in Wells,
which is the main office for Mainely Ticks and also a place for customers to
pick up bio-fuel.

The SMRF website, www.mefuels.com, is a great place to
get information on all of the products they sell and the burn time of different
products. Customers can also call Jim at 892-3702.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

The mystique of a pawn shop goes back to the time before
there were banks, according to Maine Pawn & Jewelry owner Jonathan Burnham.
“The pawn shop is actually the oldest form of banking we’ve ever had,” he said.
It’s a secured loan with a piece of collateral that will be held on to for a period
of time. When the time is up, usually a month, the person returns, pays back
the loan plus interest and takes back his or her item. No credit check needed.

Burnham, a resident of Raymond, has been in business for
23 years. His shop is now located at 760 Roosevelt Trail in Windham.

More than just a place to get a loan, pawn shops are also
a place to sell items outright or to purchase items at prices that rival any
box store. When someone doesn’t return for their collateral, the item goes out
on the floor for sale.

Maine Pawn & Jewelry has everything from flat screen
TVs to rifles to video games and video game systems to movies and sporting
equipment and electronics. Burnham has display cases with coins, gold, silver
and platinum jewelry. He also has an assortment of diamond and other gem
jewelry. And his inventory is always changing. Tools that are in the shop one
day, might be gone the next. He is the only pawn shop that is a federally
licensed firearms dealer in the area.

The shop also has a large selection of guitars and other
musical instruments to choose from.

Burnham said that he has customers who shop knowing they
can get great deals on jewelry, others need a little cash to get through to the
next paycheck.

“Everybody gets in a pinch for money. Pawn shop is sort
of a barometer for the state of the economy. If they need money right now, they
can walk out with money right now,” he said.

Pawn shops have become more popular in recent years
thanks to reality shows like Pawn Stars.

Burnham looks for items that he’d be proud to put on his
shelf. He doesn’t take furs or broken electronics and is looking to buy gold.
Hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. and Monday by appointment. When pawning items the person must be over 18
years old and be the legal owner of the item. There are no refunds and no
checks accepted.

Monday, January 13, 2014

When
former history teacher Meredith Hanby and her husband Bob bought a gym in
Windham on July 1, 2013, they had no idea what life would be like and how they
would impact the community in such a short amount of time.

Rohan
Strength and Fitness is the new name of the gym at 8 Heathwood Drive, behind
Domino’s Pizza and although the appearance hasn’t changed much, Hanby said that
there have been many changes that have impacted working out at the gym.

“I
know every members name when they walk through the door. They come here to
decompress before they start their day or after their day. It’s their
sanctuary,” Hanby said. The atmosphere at Rohan is one of camaraderie. From the
80-year-olds doing ZumbaGold to the 250-pound man doing deadlifts to the man
training for a marathon to the woman with special needs shooting basketball
hoops, they all find a home at Rohan.

“We
have something for everybody,” Hanby said. “I have some members who are very
inspiring.” The streamlined membership rates give members access to everything
in the facility with the exception of Zumba. They can go to classes, lift
weights, running or biking, babysitting or have unlimited access to tanning or
use the sauna to warm up.

Hanby
has also created a packed class schedule including kettlebells, bootcamps,
interval training starting at 5:15 a.m. and lasting all morning and more
classes in the evening. “We cater to all abilities,” she said, adding that
there are no age or ability restrictions for the classes. “It’s a community
here. It’s better than public schools, no one get bullied here.”

For
members who need more accountability or want help in a specific area, Rohan has
six trainers. Each one has a specialty that can help Hanby when she matches
people to a trainer. Hanby is also a trainer who works out at Rohan. Her
members see her training for a weightlifting competition in February and feel
comfortable asking her for help.

Teens
are also welcome to become members if they workout with their family member.
Once they reach 14, the teen can be unsupervised. “I think it’s great. It gives
them good perceptions for healthy lifestyles,” said Hanby.

To
become a member at Rohan, stop by for a tour. They have many plans from month
to month EFT withdrawals or prepay rates with senior and military discounts.
For more information, visit www.rohanstrength.com or see the Facebook page that
is used for immediate information for members.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Onsite
Auto Glass is a local company that cares about its customers, its quality work
and making sure that customers have the knowledge to make informed decisions
when it comes to dealing with insurance companies.

“We
are a small business for a reason, so we can service our customers,” said Betty
Jo Cash, who owns Onsite Auto Glass with her husband Norman. The company, which
began 12 years ago, bought and renovated the building on the corner of Falmouth
Road and Route 202 almost two years ago. The like new facility is perfect for
replacing broken glass, fixing broken window motors and keeping the cold out of
cars.

This
is the broken glass season, according to Norm. People chip at the ice on their
windows or sand trucks kick up rocks cracking or shattering windows. “As soon
as the weather starts,” Norm said, that’s when the phone starts ringing.

Although
Onsite does work on the road, Norm will not do replacement or repair work away
from the shop if the temperature is below 40 degrees. “I care about what I am
doing,” he said. “I’m not jeopardizing someone’s safety over money.”

When
Norm does travel for a job he generally stays within a 25 mile radius.

A
challenge that Onsite deals with on a daily basis is insurance companies using
terminology that is intended to scare customers into using a particular glass
replacement company.

“State
law says that the consumer has the right to use anyone they want,” said Betty
Jo. “We educate (the customers).”

Onsite
deals directly with insurance companies for their customers. “We want people to
choose their shop. Everybody deserves to have a fair shot,” Norm said.

Onsite
Auto Glass uses only quality materials and Norm will go above and beyond for
his customers. Bad replacement glass can become a safety nightmare more now
than ever. “The glass is part of the structural strength of the vehicle,” Norm
pointed out.

His
favorite job in all of his 27 years of work was repairing the glass on a
Windham resident’s Rolls Royce. “We’re in Maine. It’s an honor out of all the
glass shops to be chosen to be the one to repair it,” Norm said.

“I
like small people to do business with. Someone in the community,” said Onsite
Auto Glass customer Donna Dunham.

The
new location has been great for business with walk-in customers increasing 100
percent over the North Windham site. In North Windham
Norm felt that his business tended to get lost. Now, everyone knows where
Onsite Auto Glass is located.

“We
put that small town feel out there. It’s part of us. It’s what we do,” Norm
said.

“Our
customers become our friends,” said Betty Jo.

To
schedule an appointment, call 892-6477 or visit www.mylocalglass.com.